Northern follower of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, 17th century, A concert. Oil on canvas. 30 5/8 x 45 ¾ in. (77.7 x 116.1 cm.). Sold for £115,000 in the Old Masters Day Sale on 6 July 2018 at Christie’s in London.
What is chiaroscuro?
Chiaroscuro is a painting technique that uses contrasts between light and dark to create depth, making figures and objects appear three-dimensional. The term combines the Italian words chiaro (‘light’ or ‘clear’) and scuro (‘dark’). Artists including Leonardo da Vinci used chiaroscuro during the Renaissance, and it also become central to the work of later painters such as Rembrandt. Yet it was Caravaggio who made these striking juxtapositions of light and shadow central to his style.
Circle of Michelangelo merisi da caravaggio (Milan 1571-1610 porto ercole), The Cardsharps: I Bari. Oil on canvas, formerly laid on panel. 41 1⁄4 x 52 in. (104.7 x 132.2 cm.). Sold for £262,500 in the Old Masters Evening Sale on 7 July 2022 at Christie’s in London.
How did Caravaggio use the chiaroscuro technique?
Caravaggio’s use of chiaroscuro was closely tied to his interest in naturalistic representation. Rather than evenly illuminating an entire composition, he often set his figures in deep shadow, using concentrated light to pick out certain parts of their faces and bodies.
This selective lighting directs the viewer’s attention toward significant gestures and expressions within a work, while the contrast between light and dark heightens the emotional tension of the scene and gives Caravaggio’s figures a forceful physical presence.
The artist also often gave sacred figures the appearance of ordinary people in his paintings. Their familiar dress and gestures, combined with dramatic lighting, brought religious subjects close to the viewer’s experience.
The Calling of Saint Matthew (c. 1599–1600). Oil on canvas. Located in the Contarelli Chapel of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome.
Chiaroscuro in The Calling of Saint Matthew
Perhaps the most famous example of chiaroscuro is Caravaggio’s The Calling of Saint Matthew (c. 1599–1600), in the Contarelli Chapel of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome. This painting depicts Christ entering a room and calling the tax collector Matthew to follow him, who sits at a table with a group of men, some of whom are counting money.
Caravaggio’s use of chiaroscuro gives this scene an extraordinary sense of immediacy — the figures appear not as distant biblical characters, but as everyday people caught in a transformative moment. A strong shaft of light cuts across the dark interior, leading the viewer from Christ’s gesture towards Matthew. At the same time, the light suggests divine intervention, turning an apparently ordinary encounter into a moment of spiritual revelation.
Follower of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Narcissi and a carnation in an urn on a stone ledge with cherries, figs and butterflies. Oil on canvas. 9¼ x 25¾ in. (48.9 x 65.4 cm.). Sold for £31,700 in the Old Master and British Pictures on 25 April 2008 at Christie’s in London.
Other Caravaggio paintings that use chiaroscuro
Though The Calling of Saint Matthew may be one of the most notable examples, Caravaggio employed chiaroscuro throughout his career. In Judith Beheading Holofernes (c. 1599), concentrated light focuses the viewer’s gaze on Judith, her servant and Holofernes, while the surrounding space falls into darkness. This stark contrast calls attention to the violent encounter, while the figures’ illuminated reactions heighten the painting’s emotional and psychological force.
Similarly, in The Supper at Emmaus (c. 1601; National Gallery, London) and The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (c. 1601–1602), Caravaggio uses chiaroscuro to make these biblical scenes feel almost theatrical. In the London Supper at Emmaus, the viewer is drawn into the scene by the light from the left, which strikes Christ and the disciples and casts a strong shadow on the wall behind them.
Associate of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Caravaggio, near Milan 1571-1610 Porto Ercole), A boy peeling fruit. Oil on canvas. 25 ¾ x 20 1/8 in. (65.3 x 51.2 cm.). Sold for £218,500 in the Old Master and British Paintings Evening Sale on 7 July 2016 at Christie’s in London.
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What made Caravaggio’s use of chiaroscuro distinctive?
Caravaggio built on earlier experiments with light and shadow, giving them a forceful role in the presentation of sacred subjects. In many of his paintings, the artist embraced darkness as a fundamental part of the image.
This allowed Caravaggio to create a stronger sense of psychological tension in his works. Figures seem to emerge suddenly from the shadows, while carefully illuminated gestures and expressions become charged with significance.
His approach is also closely associated with the development and spread of tenebrism — a dramatic use of chiaroscuro in which illuminated figures and details stand out against predominantly dark settings.
Many of Caravaggio’s later paintings are described as tenebrist, with his technique inspiring the Caravaggisti — artists who adopted Caravaggio’s distinctive combination of naturalism and stark lighting. His influence spread across Europe in the decades following his rise to prominence, cementing Caravaggio as one of the defining figures of the Baroque period.